Afterwards
by L. Loire
Summary: STORY COMPLETED! This is a continuation of A Mission For Revenge, the story of Raina Lani's quest to find Sephiroth. Rated PG13 for language and some suggested themes. Read and review please!
1. Prologue

_Afterwards, _by L. Loire.

Time: This story takes place in the timeframe beginning around Chapter 3 from _A Mission for Revenge, _where Raina Lani's combat buddy and close friend Nelo Dalen leaves the city of Junon after meeting with Raina. For reference, the time it takes (in this story) to go from Junon to Fort Condor is about half a day's walk. You could call it a sequel, but I call it a continuation. 

Disclaimer and Author's note: All characters in this story, except for the ones created by me (Raina, Nelo, Ifalna, Jeini, and Coren Dolan) are copyrighted to Square Enix. I do not own them, although at times I wish I did. I warn you: if you have not read my previous story, _A Mission for Revenge, you will be somewhat lost as to the goings on. Also recommended is a basic knowledge of the Final Fantasy VII plot. On that note, enjoy the story. Review please!_

Prologue: Parting 

            He had completed the task set forth by Commander Dolan, a task to find Raina Lani, trusted friend and combat buddy, and give her the latest as told by Fort Condor spies stationed in Junon. After leaving the small dining area in the inn where Raina was, he couldn't help but wonder if Raina would be safe—after all, she _was _going up against Sephiroth, the creation of Jenova, the ex-SOLDIER believed to have assassinated everyone in the Shinra Building in Midgar. He was also responsible for the destruction of Nelo (and Raina's) hometown of Nibelhelm, after a freak incident at the Mt. Nibel reactor. Even though her objective was to find and capture him, the mission also was of…sentimental value, in a manner of speaking. The odds were surely against her, and it was because of that he was immensely worried. Raina and Nelo were friends since childhood, and he didn't want anything to happen to her. 

            He was walking on the grassy land out in the open, heading back to Fort Condor, where he was to receive his next objective. It was a calm place; save for when some rogue group of Shinra troops that liked to cause some ruckus here and there. It was a clear blue sky, sunlight all around. To his right, some distance away, the vast blue ocean seemed to go forever in all directions. Out on the horizon, there was a small island.

            _The __Temple__ of the Ancients…a place of a time long forgotten…___

            As the structure of Fort Condor came into view, his mind got to thinking about Raina again. He had asked the Commander if he could go on the mission with Raina. He had declined the request, and said that it was for Raina alone. 

            _Why?__ She could be in danger right now…with no one to help her. Even worse—_

He shut his mind out at the thought. He cursed himself for having thought it, but then realizing that it was a possible option, albeit extreme. He stopped his walk, and sat down, collecting his thoughts.

            _Now if she were—what could I do? There would be nothing. Damn! There's nothing I can do except go back to Condor and wait…but…I could go back right now to Junon and find her. However, when the commander sees I haven't returned, he will interpret that into me being AWOL, and I can never go back to __Fort__Condor__ again, or risk a court-martial. Damn…_

He got up and continued his way. All the while, his mind was warring, weighing the pros and cons of his options. 

            When he arrived, he headed to his room to see if any messages came for him while he was away. All that he found on his desk was a slip of paper with some writing on it.

TO: Nelo Dalen 

FROM: Commander Coren Dolan

SUBJECT: NEXT OBJECTIVE…URGENT.

TIME OF WRITING: 0921 hrs. (About 6 hours ago)

     First of all, I hope you had a successful rendezvous with Raina. All is well, I hope. Shortly after your meeting, word had seeped from our operatives located in the city of Junon proper about Raina's doings. I know that you would be interested; being that you two are such good friends. Here's what transpired:

     She had succeeded in getting through the crowd for the inaugural parade for Rufus Shinra, and made it to the harbor and boarded the cargo ship bound for Costa del Sol. Unusually; there were no Shinra security guards. She had made it inside with no problem. Some time had passed when suddenly (according to the operatives) the ship had "come to life," starting itself up and leaving the harbor, taking some of the harbor dock with it. 

     Nelo's blood ran cold.

            From our records, Raina is still on the cargo ship, and from our guess, with Sephiroth. We don't know any further information—vital status, hostile status, etc. Report to my office at 1500 hrs to continue this matter, and to determine your next objective.

                                  Coren Dolan,

                                  Commander, F.C. Base

          Nelo looked at his watch. 1455 hrs. Good. At least he was on time—the commander liked punctuality. He quickly turned around and left his room, en route to Commander Dolan's office.

            When he arrived, he saw the door slightly ajar. As if on some prearranged signal, he heard a "come in." It opened up into a large room, the walls decorated with earlier accomplishments of the Commander—trophies, plaques, badges of service, the usual accoutrements of his type. In the middle of the room stood a large desk, completely overflowing with paperwork. Nelo saw a man in an overstuffed office-type chair, probably in his 40's, somewhat thin (from years of military service working for Shinra), his head down, furiously scribbling on some paper. 

            "I've been expecting you," the Commander said, not yet looking up. 

            "I came as soon as I saw your note," Nelo said, slightly nervous (after all, no one was called to the Commander's office—it was a rare thing). 

            "Good. Pull up a seat, Mr. Dalen. I'm not gonna bite," Coren said, giving way to a slight chuckle.

            "Thank you, sir," Nelo sat down, feeling a little relaxed. The Commander looked up. His face started to show signs of age, a slight wrinkling. He was also beginning to gray a little. Yet he was still active in service. 

            "Obviously, you know why I called you down here," Coren stared at Nelo.

            "Yes I do," Nelo replied.

            "This is a matter of serious importance, Mr. Dalen. One of our operatives is on a ship bound for Costa del Sol, from our records. I know you two have been close friends, especially since your hometown was ruined by Sephiroth." He rose out of his chair. "We do not know the condition of Ms. Lani. At last contact, she was well. We have overwhelming evidence, but not conclusive proof that Sephiroth is on the ship."

            "Why no conclusive proof?" Nelo asked.

            "There is the other option, as small as it is, that Raina could have activated the ship by herself. Even though that is probably not the case, we can't just throw out the option, which then brings me to your objective. Your objective is to find and bring Raina back safely."

If you like, then on to **Chapter One: Preparations.** Leave me a review!


	2. Preparations

**Chapter One: Preparations**

Nelo breathed a sigh of relief. His opportunity had arrived—a little late in coming, but it was here. 

            "Thank you, sir," Nelo said, and turned around to leave.

            "Wait! Not so fast, Mr. Dalen," the Commander said sternly. Nelo spun around, feeling embarrassed. He wasn't dismissed. 

            "Sorry, sir." 

            "Never mind that. I would feel the same way had it been a close friend of mine in danger," Commander Dolan said, his tone changing from stern to mildly sympathetic. "Now where was I? Oh yes—back to your objective." His facial expression turned serious. "You will be accompanied on this mission. I am sending Ifalna Atrius with you, one of our top operatives."

            Nelo tried not to show it, but apparently the Commander saw the look of annoyance. 

            "I know you usually like to be alone on these search-and-rescue missions, but with the increased security in Junon and in the surrounding areas, I can't take the risk of you getting nabbed or even killed by those Shinra. Besides, she'll provide some company so you'll have someone to talk to on this mission. She's also one of our best mercenaries—excellent with a gun. I hope you understand."

            Nelo could do nothing. He sighed. "I understand perfectly, sir." Even so, there was still something nagging at him, and some part of him was still annoyed. He wanted to go alone for reasons of his own.

            _She's my closest friend, and I just want to make sure she's okay. But why else? Usually I'm not so annoyed for missions like this, but for Raina, it's—different somehow. Maybe it's a kind of love, I don't know. I'll manage. _

            "Meet me again at 1800 hours to finalize the objective scenario. That is all. Dismissed!" Nelo turned around and left the room, and headed to his quarters. When he arrived, he sat down on his bed and began to collect his thoughts. Looking at his watch again, he noted he only had a couple of ours before the briefing. 

            "Well, better get packing," he said to himself. Getting down on his knees, he felt under his bed for something. He pulled out a long black case, covered with a thin layer of dust. It was held shut by two snaps and a combination lock. 

            "It's been a while, my dear," he said, staring at the case. He quickly opened up the lock and undid the snaps. It opened to reveal a long black object in the shape of a gun—a gun that attached to a person's arm. It lay there, looking brand-new. The gun was a modified version of the gun-arm used by AVALANCHE member Barret Wallace, except that this attached onto an arm, whereas Barret's arm was surgically attached. A flood of memories hit Nelo's mind. This was a weapon he had found back in Nibelhelm, lying atop the body of a dead Shinra soldier who gave his life only to meet a fiery end. He could remember clearly the crackling of flame, of screaming panicked people, the cries of little children; the sounds of agony as they were burned alive…burned…completely innocent lives…

            …He heard a knock on his door. "Am I interrupting something?" A woman's voice, cool and collected, brought him out of his reverie. He quickly shook his head, as if shaking off some bad thought, and then he looked to see the figure that greeted his eye. She was a woman of about 5'9", and had fair skin. She was a thin woman, and from the shape of her body, she looked as if she was in her 20's. She wore a long-sleeved plain black shirt, which was covered by a white and gray camouflage vest. She also wore olive-green colored army-type pants, similar to a Shinra army trainee, and they hung over a pair of well-worn combat boots. Her facial features showed a look of curiosity, her brown eyes adding to that look. Her long brown hair was tied up in a ponytail, and Nelo noticed that she was holding a folder in her hand. 

            "No, you're not. Just thinking." Nelo stood up. "Come in, Ifalna." She took a step in when she stopped and looked at the modified gun-arm."

            "Nice bit of weaponry," she said in a curious tone. "How did you get that?" 

            Nelo shook his head again and sighed. "Long story. Maybe I'll tell you on the trip."

            "All right. It is nice, though. I've only heard about a weapon like this—now I finally see one," Ifalna said, her eyes wide.

            "Well," Nelo began. "It's a modified version of the one you've probably heard of. The original model was surgically attached as an arm. This one attaches to my arm. I hear this packs quite a punch—but I've never had to use it…until maybe now." His voice changed to a casual tone. "So…what did you want to see me about?"

            "Actually, the Commander wanted me to see you. Seeing that this will be our first mission together, he wants us to become acquainted with each other. You know his policy—'Best to know your comrade,'" she said in her Commander-like voice. 

            Nelo chuckled. "Hey, you do that pretty good. Maybe you should have gone into acting. I hear the Tantalus group is looking for actors."

            Ifalna smiled. "Thanks, but no thanks. I don't think I could perform in front of people. Stage fright, you know." She handed Nelo the folder. "Here's my dossier. Hope you enjoy it." She smiled again. Nelo took his chair by his bed and began to read it. A few seconds went by.

            "Well?" Ifalna said, still standing. 

            Nelo stood up quickly, feeling a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Ifalna. Sit down and I'll get you mine."

            _Stupid! Silly me, losing my manners like that…_

            He went over to his desk and took a folder from a large pile of folders. "Nope…not his one…no…arrgh…damn…where is it?" At last he found the folder marked _Dalen, Nelo (Profile). _He handed it to Ifalna. "Here you go."

Profile for Dalen, Nelo

****

**Id Number: 13013**

**Age: 26**

**Blood Type: A negative**

**Marital Status: single**

**Gender: Male**

**Years of Service: 8**

**Bio: Nelo Dalen came to the ****Fort****Condor**** branch of the ASA ****(Anti-Shinra Army) ****at age 18, several years after the destruction of his hometown of Nibelhelm at the hands of Sephiroth, creation of Jenova. His reasons for joining the ASA are that of to stop Shinra from taking over all sources of Mako Energy which brought the Shinra to his hometown to begin with—the concentration of Mako Energy found at ****Mt.****Nibel****. He has been in many missions, mostly recon missions. He spent 3 years in the Junon branch of the ASA, after Shinra presence due to the attraction of the Condor brought the company here.  Some members of the Fort Condor ASA are also people that came from Nibelhelm. In his spare time he likes to write and observe nature, and on his off-duty likes to stargaze in ****Cosmo****Canyon****. During his trips to ****Cosmo****Canyon****, he developed an interest in the race of beings only referred to as "Nanaki."   **

(Picture enclosed)

Profile for Atrius, Ifalna 

****

Id Number: 10931 

**Age: 24**

**Blood Type: O**

**Marital Status: Single**

**Gender: Female**

**Years of Service: 6**

**Bio: Ifalna Atrius first came to us from the Sector 7 slums of Midgar. At age 14, After the Mako Energy Act was passed which regulated Mako energy flow in Midgar, her family was arrested, tried, and executed for false crimes—assisting and aiding the AVALANCHE terrorist group, of which she never knew anything about until shortly after their execution. She seeks revenge on the Shinra Corporation, but mainly the man who executed her parents—Heidegger. Now she seeks the Shinra Corporation's downfall. For her first 2 years, while she was with the Fort Condor ASA, she did team up with the AVALANCHE group in Midgar, and recently helped the current AVALANCHE team in their plans to destroy the Sector 7 Reactor. She spent almost a year with the newly formed Nibelhelm ASA, and it was here in which she became one of our expert marksmen. She also learned medical technique here. Now she resides with the Fort Condor ASA. Her hobbies include writing poetry and drawing.  **

(Picture enclosed)

                                               *                      *                      *

     She let out another moan of erotic pleasure as he slammed his member into her wet womanhood, reaching orgasm again. The sensation shot through her body like a huge amount of electricity as she could feel his manhood throbbing inside her. He let out a low guttural moan as he finished. He slowly pulled himself out of her and lay on his side to her left. Raina Lani opened her eyes and saw gray metal pipeline above her. Still panting, she felt the sensation of orgasm fading away and she looked to her left to see Sephiroth's face, his silver hair strewn wildly about his head, his face and muscular body covered in sweat.          

            A type of silence fell across the Control Room, located on the ship bound for Costa del Sol. She lay there, looking at him, wondering how she ended up in this position, losing her virginity to Sephiroth, the One-Winged Angel. 

_What happened? Last thing I remember…getting on the ship…finding control room…dead guard…Sephiroth…one thing led to another…_

A grin slowly spread across her face.

It was one hell of a ride, though. Probably the best thing I've ever done. So exciting…Sephiroth…the domination…the power…

"Thank you…Sephiroth," Raina said, breaking the silence. She leaned close and kissed him once more. He ran his hand through his hair, pushing it back.  

"You're…welcome. I guess when I was created, Hojo gave me human feelings as well…lust, love, anger," Sephiroth said in a low voice. "I don't know where I'll go next, but I suggest you not stay in Costa del Sol for too long. It's best for you to go back to your group." 

"But what of you?" Raina asked. 

"I can take care of myself, Raina." Sephiroth leaned closer to kiss her. Suddenly a chime went off in the room, sounding like an elevator bell. Raina got up and looked to the screen behind her. Suddenly the screen changed to a course map, and showed the current position of the ship in relation to the destination. She heard the sound of a loud click—all locks were released. An automated voice, female, filled up the room.

"_Attention all Shinra personnel. We will be arriving at __Costa del Sol__ shortly. Be prepared to dock. All staff should be ready to disembark. Estimated time to dock: four minutes. All doors have been unlocked to help expedite the unloading process." _

"We're almost there, Sephiroth. Soon—" she turned around to look at him—but to her surprise, there was no one in the room. He had disappeared. 

If you still like, read on to **Chapter 2: Briefing.**


	3. Briefing

**Chapter Two: Briefing**

            "Now that you've had time to get to know one another, I decided to call you here to brief you on this mission." Commander Dolan rose out of his overstuffed chair and threw a look of seriousness at the two. "Both of you obviously know the situation, so there's no need for me to go into it again. Now, our intelligence operatives have told us this in the last couple of hours. One: the ship bound for Costa del Sol is almost there. Again, we don't know if Raina or any Shinra or anyone is on that ship. If Raina is on that ship, she of course will disembark. We don't know what condition she's in at this moment—"       

            "Sir—" Nelo cut in. 

            "Excuse me, Mr. Dalen!" Coren snapped at Nelo. "This is a matter of serious importance! Don't interrupt me when I am speaking to you!"

            "Sorry, sir," Nelo bowed his head, feeling embarrassed.

            "As I was saying—ah, yes. We don't know what condition she's in—which is one of the reasons I assigned Ifalna to this mission. She can tend to Raina if she's wounded. Here is what we also know. Junon is in a state of uproar at the moment—since the sudden and unexpected departing of the cargo ship, Shinra is on a high state of alert, bordering on martial law at this point. This has also been reported to the Shinra soldiers at Costa del Sol. To my knowledge, more reinforcements are on the way to intercept that ship. Unfortunately, the ship will arrive before we do…and if Raina is alone…" his voice trailed off.

            _Then Raina will have to face the Shinra troops by herself…damn…_

"What about our operatives on the other side?" Ifalna asked.

            "I've already sent a wire to the Nibelhelm branch, but even with their notification, they still won't make it in time. She's all she has, unfortunately," the Commander said, sighing. "However, they will be searching for her after the ship docks. My guess is that she will go to the Nibelhelm office and wait there."

            "So how do we get there? We can't go straight to Costa del Sol," Ifalna said.

            "Right—the waters around Costa del Sol and Junon are heavily guarded now," the Commander said, and he bent down to a drawer on his desk. When he came back up, he was holding a rolled-up piece of paper. It unraveled to a map of the Planet. 

            "We are here," Commander Dolan said, pointing to a red dot. "You are going to take a small craft which will be set for you on the shore. His finger moved left. "You will travel through this waterway out into open ocean. Heading due west you will find another inlet of water between Prison Town and Gongaga Town. After entering the inlet, you will land here—" he marked an X on the map. "Someone from the Nibelhelm office will be there awaiting your arrival, at which point you will ride by chocobo due north to North Corel, at the base of Mt. Corel. From there, you will walk up Mt. Corel to a mountain pass that will take you to Nibelhelm. Raina, hopefully, should be there. Once you have safely made contact with Raina, head northeast to Rocket Town, and find a man named Cid Highwind. Tell him I sent you and you should have no problem in getting a means of transportation back here. He's an excellent pilot. Cid's an old friend of mine…used to work together, and then we went our separate ways, and so it goes…that is the plan." Commander Dolan looked up. "Questions?"

            Ifalna had a look of intrigue on her face. "How long is this going to take?"

            "The boat trip to the designated landing should take about a day and a half. Since you are going by chocobo to North Corel, that should only take a few hours. From North Corel to Nibelhelm will take approximately one day, and from Nibelhelm to Rocket Town by chocobo is about an hour or two. Finally, from Rocket Town back to here by plane should be about 5-7 hours, depending on the speed of the plane. All together about 4 days, but add time to rest, etc, about a week," the Commander replied. He looked at Nelo. "And you, Mr. Dalen?" 

            "No questions, sir." Nelo replied. 

            "Good, then. You will leave tomorrow morning at 1000 hours. That gives you plenty of time to pack things you need. See me tomorrow at 0900. Until then, dismissed!" He brought his hand up to salute. 

            "Thank you, sir," Ifalna and Nelo responded with the salute and left. 

            Back at Nelo's quarters, Ifalna and Nelo were sitting in chairs, talking about the events to come. 

            "It's kind of taking the long way around, isn't it?" Nelo said, a tone of impatience in his voice. 

            "I have to agree with you there," Ifalna agreed, sighing. "But it's only for a matter of safety. I mean, the immediate areas surrounding Junon and Costa del Sol are now on a high state of alert. I can see where the Commander is coming from—to head straight to Costa del Sol would be suicide, and he's just looking out for our—"

            "_But what about Raina?! She's all alone, damn it! No one is able to help her!_" Nelo yelled, and rose out of his chair. Ifalna's face lit up, her eyes widening, her expression a look of complete surprise, a look of fear. "No one…" he said, his volume lowered, almost to a whisper. "I'm sorry, Ifalna. I didn't mean to yell like that. It's just I'm…I'm—"

            "—worried about your friend, I know. I understand, Nelo," Ifalna said in a comforting, soothing voice, almost motherly. "Raina is alive, I'm sure of it."

            "We've been friends since we were children…I just don't want _anything_ happening to her." Nelo was calmed by now, and he sat back down in his chair. 

            "Neither do I." A silence filled up the room. After a few seconds, Ifalna broke the silence, and a grin spread across her face. "Next time, warn me when you're going to do that."

            Nelo chuckled. "I will. Thanks for the info." 

            Ifalna checked her watch. "Hate to run, but I better start packing." She rose out of her chair. "I will see you in the morning, at 0900."

            "Same here." As she was exiting, she was at the doorway when Nelo said, "Thanks for relaxing me. It helped." 

            Ifalna took one last look at Nelo. "Anytime. What are friends for? See ya." She disappeared down the hall, leaving Nelo in his chair, surrounded by silence and a sea of emotions swimming around inside him.

            _I hope you're alive, Raina. Oh, god, I hope you make it through __Costa del Sol__…I want to see you again..._

                        *                      *                      *

            The cargo ship had come to a stop in the harbor of Costa del Sol. She had quickly collected her belongings (and her clothes) and headed for the cargo deck. All around her, empty crates stood, some piled tall and in varied heights—providing some good hiding spots. She had a premonition that Shinra troops would investigate the ship—they probably knew what happened at Junon, so they were ready to kill anything that did so much as breathe. She quickly searched through the deck until she found a hiding place—a corner of the deck surrounded high with crates with an opening big enough for her to squeeze through. 

            She found a single crate lying on the ground next to her, a crate to be used as a block. She pushed the wooden crate to her hiding place. Luckily it was empty so it didn't prove to be hard to move. Once it was in place, she jumped over it and crouched low. To her right, there was a small slit in between two stacks of crates—an aperture small enough to shoot a bullet through if necessary. No sooner did she position herself when suddenly a female voice filled the large room.

            "Docking procedure completed. Main cargo bay door now opening. Security check procedure in progress." The room became filled with the sound of machinery working as the large cargo bay door began to open. As it was opening, Raina could hear the sounds of male voices. 

            "All right, let's move!" Four Shinra guards entered and dispersed, each checking a section of the deck. Each of them moved quickly and quietly. One of them in particular was wearing a set of black glasses. Raina tried to get a better look at these—they looked strangely familiar to her. This one moved closer to where she was hiding. Looking through the small opening where she was, he was moving in a stealth-like pattern, darting his head back and forth. Raina's heart began to quicken. The sound of her heartbeat sounded like it was amplified a hundred times. For a second, she thought was going to give her position away by the sound. He stopped moving. He turned his head in Raina's direction and moved steadily to her position. As he drew closer, he got several feet away when Raina had a horrible realization.

            _Those black glasses—thermal glasses! He can see heat! Shit! He knows I'm here…_

            The barrel of his gun aimed straight in her direction. 

            "Come out of there now," he said in a firm voice. Raina aimed her gun through the slit, and aimed it at his neck. Her body seemed to have locked in position, ready to fire.

            "Get out where I can see you, _now_!" the guard said menacingly. 

            "_Not on your life, asshole!_" Raina screamed, and pulled the trigger. The bullet that flew went cleanly through his neck. He let out a gurgling sound, and he coughed up blood. Blood was quickly flowing from the wound onto his uniform. He was knocked back into a stacked pile of crates, knocking them over. He collapsed in a bloody heap on the ground, some of the blood spilling onto the crate from the initial shot. The other three guards instantly were alerted. One raised his hand and talked into a radio.

            "Man down! Man down! Over there! Alert Mode!" one guard yelled. 

            _Alert mode…oh, goody._          

In a matter of seconds, six more troops came through the cargo doorway, each wearing thermal glasses. Bullets began to fly, landing in the crates surrounding Raina. Splinters were flying as Raina quickly got up and jumped over a crate. She ran headlong for the stairwell to the upper deck. Nine guards were on her tail now, all of them firing. Sounds of machine gun fire and bullets ricocheting off metal filled the air. All the while she fired at the guards. She was firing randomly now, not stopping to aim. If the bullets hit, they did. 

            "After her! Make sure she doesn't get away!"

            Chunks of wood were being splayed all around her, at times clouding her vision. She began to scramble up the stairwell. As she did, she heard a whizzing sound of a bullet just missing her ear. She could feel the air move as the bullet flew by her. 

            "She's getting away!" one of the glasses-wearing troops yelled. He fired, and as Raina neared the top of the stairwell, she felt a sudden twinge of pain in her right leg as a bullet grazed her leg. She cried out in pain and she tripped over the last stair. A quick glance at her leg and she saw the piece of fabric of her right pant leg ripped away just below the knee. It was bleeding, but not too heavily. She could manage.

            _Fucking Shinra bastards!_

 

            She ran toward the War Room on the upper part of the upper deck. She could hear the voices of the Shinra guards coming up the stairs. Looking behind her, she heard the sounds of bullets again. She saw a body coming up the stairs. Quickly, she aimed her gun at his head and fired. Less than a second later, the guard's head was knocked back and he fell. As he did, he fell on the guard behind him, then the guard behind him, and so on.

            _That's gonna buy me some time, a minute at best._

            She looked around again, her heart racing. She then realized that she only had one escape.

            _Can't go back the way I came—which leaves me with one other option—off. _

She looked over to her right and saw the dark blue-green of the ocean. About fifty feet away from her was the dock itself. It extended itself out to a point about a hundred feet away, and at the end of it was a small sailing craft. 

            _Maybe I could swim under the dock, out of the way of those stupid thermal goggles…_

It wasn't long before she heard the sounds of the guards again. They ran onto the upper deck and placed their guns on Raina. 

            "Hold it right there, bitch! You are surrounded, and there is no chance of escape! If you surrender, we will treat you with kindness and charity!"

            _Charity, bullshit. From Shinra? Right._

She looked to her left, and suddenly she ran for the edge of the ship. 

            "Fire at will! Fire!" Time seemed to move in slow motion for Raina. Her legs felt as if they were lead. The sounds of gunshots seemed to be distorted. With one quick (or slow as it seemed) motion, she lifted herself off the upper deck. She looked behind her and saw gun smoke, and then she sank below their view, and saw nothing but water below her. 

Still like? Read on to **Chapter 3: Rendezvous. **


	4. Rendezvous

**Chapter Three: Rendezvous**

A sudden sensation of cold shot through her as if she just dove into a freezing lake. A second later, she swam to her left, to the dock, or so she thought. Her splash created ocean foam that blocked her from view for a few seconds. Opening her eyes underwater, she could make out dark shapes in the water, somewhat cylindrical. A second later, she heard the sound of a bullet hitting the water. She swam harder and faster, pulling herself through the cool liquid. Another bullet broke the water's surface directly in front of her. It made a streamlined path in front of her, then curved away. The dark figures of the dock supports loomed closer. All the while, bullets were narrowly missing. 

            _Come on! Come on! Almost…_

            Her lungs were beginning to feel the sense of the pressure. A gripping feeling came over Raina as she began to struggle to hold her breath. 

            _Oh, no…not now! _

            She felt as if she was being squeezed in a vice. Her lungs felt as if they were ready to burst. Suddenly darkness closed in around her. She couldn't take it anymore. She pulled her head out of the water—

            --and bumped her head on wood. Her head made a dull clunk.

            "Ow! Shit!" Raina said under her breath. She made it under the dock. Now she had to get to the end of it. She slowly treaded water, moving slowly so as to not attract any more attention. 

             _Evasion mode. Now comes the hard part. Hopefully that's the last I see of them…_

            Her silence was broken by the sounds of thudding footsteps.

            "Search everywhere! Find her at any cost!" a Shinra guard yelled. The footsteps stopped directly over her head. Slowly Raina took a deep breath and placed her head underwater. A Shinra guard went to his knees and moved his head over the edge of the dock, looking under for the runaway figure. Raina could just make out the outline of his head underwater. 

            _Move, damn bastard! Move! I can't stay like this forever…_

            He moved his head left, then right, and then got back up. "No sign of the runaway. Let's move! She couldn't have gone far!" Underwater, she could hear the dull sounds of retreating footsteps, and she pulled her head out of the water, gasping for precious, life-giving air. 

            _Now to continue what I was doing before I was rudely interrupted._

                                                *                      *                      *

            The road from the dock lead to what appeared to be a main street. The place looked like something out of a travel guide—it was a typical exotic, tropical type place. She looked around, trying to familiarize herself with her surroundings—she only had been here once before. She stood atop a small bridge—looking to her left was the town exit, leading to the towns of Corel, Nibelhelm, and points north and south; to her right was the heart of the town. Her first priority at the moment was to find a place to get out of her wet condition, a place where she could unwind and collect her thoughts after her run-in with Sephiroth. At the end of the bridge, a small pedestrian stairwell went down to her right, leading to the main road. As she went down the stairwell, she remained cautious of her surroundings, keeping a close eye for Shinra presence. The main road was mostly quiet now, for night had fallen here, the hour probably midnight or 0100. The only sources of light were coming from lit torches propped up by establishments. When she stepped onto the main road, a light bulb seemed to go on inside her mind as another piece of the town layout fell into place.

            The doors opened into a well-lit room, fairly large for a lobby. 

            _Nice looking place they have here…I'm sure it's a busy place, especially during the tourist season. _

            It had a look of what a typical stereotype "tropical" place had—palm branches, coconut shells, and the like. She saw a reception desk nearby, the wood having a just-finished look to it. Behind it stood a male, young-looking, and long black hair. 

            "Greetings, and welcome to Costa del Sol, a fine tropical tourist town. I see you have chosen to stay here for the night—and by the look of you, you look like you could use a little rest and cleaning up," the clerk said, showing off a big grin, looking overly happy.

            "I would say you're right on that one," Raina said.

            "You're in luck. We have just one room left. Well, then, if you're staying, can I have your name, please?"

            "Raina Lani," Raina replied. The clerk's eyes lit up.

            "Oh! Someone's expecting you! You will find this person in the dining area," he pointed to the left. The clerk looked down to where her gun was fastened to her belt.

            "I'm sorry, but we don't allow firearms here—it may scare off the guests seeing an armed person in the inn. Can I hold onto it for safekeeping?" The clerk held out his hand.

            "If I have to," Raina placed the dripping gun on the desk. "It needs to dry out anyway." Raina smiled. The clerk threw a look of confusion to Raina, then shook his head. 

            "I will reserve the room for you. Your guest is in the dining room. Enjoy your stay."

            "Thank you very much," Raina said, and with that, she headed for the dining area.

            _Now who's expecting me? Is it Nelo? Someone else? A Shinra guard?_

            She entered a large-sized dining hall, as large as a cafeteria. It was lavishly decorated again in the typical tropical fashion, complete with a bar, buffet, and tables to sit and dine at. Since it was late into the night, the hall was mostly empty, save for some people sitting at some tables. Only one sat at the bar. She looked around for this mystery person to show himself, or herself, whoever it was. One person stood up from the table closest to her.

            She was about Raina's height, and she looked like she was in her mid-20s, the very most 30. Her skin was obviously tanned, most likely from the climate here. She wore a black tank top, covered by a navy blue vest. She wore khaki outdoor pants, the type most commonly used on long outdoor expeditions, like hiking, climbing, things of that nature. Tied to a belt loop was a white bandanna, obviously meant for her short brown hair. Her eyes were of an emerald green color, shiny and vibrant, even in the dimmed light of the dining hall. 

            "Glad to see you're still in one piece," the young woman said. "My name is Major Jeini Sain, operative of the Nibelhelm branch of the A.S.A." She reached out her hand. 

            "Captain Raina Lani," she said, reciprocating the handshake. "Operative of the Fort Condor branch. Word travels fast, doesn't it? It's only been a day or two." 

            "Indeed. Your commanding officer, Coren Dolan, sent us a wire shortly after word reached him about the Junon incident, and I was sent here, so here I am."

            Raina smiled. "I hope I didn't cause too much ruckus."

            Jeini chuckled. "No, not really. Besides, the pace of work at Nibelhelm was beginning to drag. It was a worthwhile trip to come here. I haven't been here for a little bit and so I said, 'What the hell?' I am glad to see you're alive though. Fort Condor has been going a little nuts, due to their close proximity to Junon. Letting them know you're alive may lift some stress."

            "All right." Raina began. " Now that that's settled, where do I go from here?"

            "According to your C.O. and mine, we are going to Nibelhelm and staying there until your buddies come and get you. Another operative of Nibelhelm is on his way toward the southern end of the continent to escort them safely here. Your C.O. sent two people—Ifalna Atrius and Nelo Dalen. It will take them a few days—they're taking the long way around."

            _Nelo! Oh, thank god! I bet he was worried sick. So am I, actually. He and Ifalna have to cross the ocean to get here. Hopefully they don't get nabbed by a Shinra ship here… _ 

            Jeini continued. "No need to worry. They're in good hands. Well, from the look of you, you look like you could use some cleaning-up. You look like you took a dip out there."

            Raina chuckled. "If you put it that way, I did. I was spotted by some Shinra troops on the ship and made my escape. Never a dull moment, I say. If that's the way Rufus Shinra wants to play it, then so be it."

            "I must say, though—that incident at Junon did throw a wrench into his plan. He's after Sephiroth, I hear. Something about the Promised Land and Holy Materia, I don't know. Anyways," Jeini said, shaking her head, "I don't want to delay you any further. Go clean yourself up in your room. Just go up to the clerk at the front desk and he'll take care of ya. I'll meet you up there later."

            "Until then, Ms. Sein," Raina grinned.

            "Please. Call me Jeini."

            "See ya, Jeini."

Still interested? Read on to **Chapter 4: Another Meeting.**


	5. Another Meeting

Chapter Four: Another Meeting 

Nelo Dalen was lying down on the sands of the shore, gazing up into the starry night. He laid there, his hands behind his head, wearing a windbreaker jacket to keep warm in the cool night.  All around him, the sounds of the gently crashing waves provided the only ambience. The hour was a little past 0100. Sleep was not coming to him, so he walked down to the shoreline alone. He lay there, thinking…thinking about recent events, the upcoming mission, and that small nagging doubt that Raina is safe. He let out a long, slow breath, collecting himself. 

            _So many stars…what a beautiful night. I hope Raina is looking at the same sky._ He closed his eyes and let his mind wander ahead a few days. Provided all goes well, he would be back within a week. 

            _I wonder what happened on that cargo ship…I'll find out in due time._

            The sound of footsteps brought him out of his reverie. He opened his eyes, suddenly feeling alert.

            "Don't worry," a familiar voice said softly. "It's only me." Ifalna sat down next to Nelo. 

            "Morning, Ifalna. What brings you out here at this hour?"

            "Probably not the reason you're out here." She folded her arms across her chest, probably from a chill. The winds down on the shore were mild, but Nelo noticed she was cold. He sat up and took off his windbreaker jacket. "Here."

"Thanks," Ifalna said, putting it on. "So," she began, "what brings you out here?"

Nelo sighed, and lied back down. "You could say lack of sleep. My mind has 

been spinning these last couple of days—the incident at Junon, Raina's disappearance, the upcoming mission, I don't know. Raina and I have been close friends since childhood—I don't want anything bad to happen to her. I've been having these feelings for her, feelings I've felt for no one else. I—I—" he stammered.

            "It's called love," Ifalna interrupted. "You _love_ Raina, and you don't wish any ill of her. These feelings you're having—they aren't just simple feelings for a friend. They are feelings of love."

            Nelo's voice dimmed to a whisper. "I…I guess that's it." He sighed again.

            "Relax," Ifalna said in a soothing voice. She placed her hand on Nelo's head and let it sit there. "You'll see her again. I'm sure of it."

            "What makes you so sure?" Nelo asked, still in a whisper. At that moment, Ifalna leaned over and kissed Nelo full on the lips. They sat there for a moment, seeming like time itself had come to a standstill, both of them absorbed in the moment. After what seemed like ages, she pulled away from Nelo, looked at him, and smiled.

            "Woman's intuition," she said softly. She rose to her feet and brushed herself off. "Come. We both need our sleep. It's gonna be a long day tomorrow."

                                                *                      *                      *          

            Raina sat on her bed, gazing out of her window, up at the late night sky filled with stars. Her long soak cleared her mind and washed away the day's events. Now she sat there, relaxed, just giving some thought to tomorrow's trip to Nibelhelm. She hadn't been there for a while, years in fact, and wondered how much it changed. She also couldn't wait to see familiar faces again, Nelo in particular. She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, and this seemed to further relax Raina. Her silence ended when she heard a knock on her room door. She sat up, erect, suddenly alert. "Who's there?" Raina called.

            "It's just me, Jeini," the female voice answered. "Are you decent?" Raina adjusted her robe. "Yes, yes, come in." The door opened, and there in the doorway stood the figure of Jeini, still wearing what she wore previously. Her emerald eyes seemed even brighter than before, now in the dim light. "Looks like you've made yourself at home. I see you are calmer now." 

            "Yes, I am. That long bath hit the spot." Raina agreed.

            "That's one of the things I like about this place. Shame I don't come here more often. Duty calls and that sort of thing keep me away. I came here to tell you that I have arranged two chocobos for us so we can go to Nibelhelm—otherwise it would be a killer walk to accomplish. We will be leaving at some point in the late morning—I know you probably need some sleep after the events of late."

            Raina chuckled. "Need my beauty sleep, you know." 

            Jeini laughed. "Beauty sleep? You're in the army, girl. No beauty sleep for you."

            Raina's facial expression changed to one of the "sad puppy face." "Pwease?"

            "Ok, fine." 

            "Good. I was going to have some anyway." 

            "Speaking of sleep," Jeini began, "I must be getting some myself. Chocobos can be fun to ride. Have you ever rode a chocobo before?"

            "Can't say that I have. I've seen it before, at the Gold Saucer."

            "When did you go to the Gold Saucer? I haven't been there in years!" A look of surprise went across her face.

            "I went last year. Fun place."

            "Well, then. Next time you go, take me with you. I have a bit of a score to settle with Dio, the owner of the Gold Saucer."

            "I'll make a note of that." Raina yawned. "I think I'm ready for bed."

            "Then I'll leave you to it." Jeini turned around to exit. When she opened the door, she turned her head at Raina. "Sleep well." 

            Raina smiled. "You too." The door shut, and Raina was alone, in the silence again. 

            After a minute or so, Raina went to her bedside light, and turned it out. She took off her robe and tucked herself into bed. A few minutes later, she was fast asleep.

               She was surrounded on all sides by dark, brown earth. A cold floor was enveloped in a thick fog-like air, from which it was only translucent. The air around her possessed a dank quality, somewhat of a humid feeling. She looked around, searching for a point of reference, something that could tell her where she was. Behind her, a giant boulder blocked what may have been an entrance, she couldn't tell. Ahead of her, she noticed a pale blue light, seemingly far off in the distance. Seeing nowhere else to go, she only could walk toward the source of the light. 

_After all, light is the great attractor. _

As she got closer, her naked body felt a chill in the air, sending goose bumps over her body. The air got colder as she proceeded to close the distance.  At the threshold, she stopped--her conscience held her back. 

            Some part of her mind told her not to go forward, and as it was, a premonition was building--a feeling of danger, impending doom. Another part of her mind showed intrigue and wonder, curiosity. If she were to go beyond, what would happen?

_Only one way to find out..._

She stepped into a giant space, surrounded entirely by shades of white and just the slightest hues of blue. Stalactites made of what could have been ice lined the ceiling, stretching on and on. The walls all around her were lined with a clear, crystalline substance. Curious, she reached out her hand and touched the wall next to her. Suddenly, she pulled her hand back in pain as she felt a cold like no other. She clutched her hand, breathing on it, trying to un-freeze her hand from the searing cold.

_Shit! Damn, damn, damn! How the hell cold is that? Feels like I placed my hand on liquid nitrogen...but it isn't..._

After she recovered, she looked around the room again. In the center, she noticed, was a raised platform of sorts, and in the center was a tall ice structure, crystalline, and very shiny. A thin mist emanated from the monolith, a sure signal that it wasn't something to be touched. From the naked eye, the monolith appeared to be double her height. Again, curiosity began to well up. Scanning it very closely, she noticed an object within the structure, a spherical object. 

_            Hmm...I wonder..._

She walked forward to a set of stairs carved out of the platform, and moved in closer to get a better look. Careful not to touch the monolith, she noticed that this blue orb was the same shape and size as a bowling ball. In the translucent appearance of the object, she noticed something out of the ordinary--something caught her eye; and she moved her face closer to get a better look. She could feel the waves of cold mist on her face, a vivid reminder of what just happened--the last thing she needed was to have her face frozen. Peering closer, she noticed a faint writing on the orb itself. It looked like it was written in a unique language, one she couldn't understand. 

_            Estuans inferius...ira vehimente..._

            A look of confusion spread across her face. 

            _"Estuans inferius ira vehimente?" What kind of language is this? What does it mean? _

            As if on cue, the strange scrawl began to change. A look of bewilderment and intrigue came across her face. A few seconds later, a new writing appeared on the opaque orb, this time in the common English.

            _Burning inside with violent anger..._

            Fear began to creep inside as another premonition began to make root in her mind. Out of instinct, she looked behind her for an exit--only to find that there was no such luck. The way she came in had vanished, and in its place was the same wall that lined the whole room. Her heart quickening, she began to frantically look for anything. Her mind made it clear that she was in for it, what it was, uncertain. She turned away from the monolith and began to back away when suddenly the cavern began to shake violently.

            _I'm gonna die...I'm gonna die...no escape...trapped..._

            Trying to maintain balance, she moved as fast as she could off the platform. Suddenly she heard a loud crack, like the sound of rock splitting. She looked up and it confirmed what her mind thought. A stalactite broke from the ceiling and was coming down directly above her, its long point aiming squarely on her head. For a moment, she stood frozen, out of pure terror, and could only stare as the spire rapidly closed the distance. 

            _MOVE! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE OR DIE!_

            Her conscience brought her back and she dove out of the way, missing being impaled by feet as the spike hit the ground, sending rock everywhere. Her naked body lay there for a minute, until her mind finally registered that everything was still again. She slowly rose to her feet, checking the surroundings once again. She found her attention once again directed to the monolith as the orb inside emitted a bright orange light, making the spire look neon orange. As she stared, the light became brighter and brighter to the point where she shielded her eyes from the blinding aura. The cavern became filled with the sound of shattering glass, as if the entire cavern was being rent in two, shattering all around her until the sounds became too much to bear. She covered her ears and let out a scream, but knew it was pointless. No one could save her. 

            _Raina..._called a voice in her head.

            _What's that? Who is that? _

_            Raina..._

_            Who's calling me? That voice sounds very familiar...I heard that voice very recently..._

"Raina. Open your eyes," the same masculine voice said. Slowly, she moved her hands away from her head, noticing immediately that it was silent all around, save for the calm voice. She opened her eyes carefully, her heart still pounding after what just occurred. 

            Her attention turned to the center of the cavern again, back to the spire. Moments before, the spire itself shone a bright orange, and the cavern was falling apart, but as she looked now, the orange light receded to a tolerable level, and the cavern itself looked as if nothing ever happened. A little confused, she began to walk toward the platform once more, every step being cautious.

            "Raina, come forth," the same voice said, calmly. When she rose on the platform, the light once again began to grow brighter, and the orb changed to a bright white, almost blinding her. Suddenly the tall spire exploded, pieces of cold ice flying in all directions. Raina knelt down quickly, and shielded her head from the flying shrapnel. Shards of cold ice hit her exposed body, stinging as it hit her tender skin. Out of fear, she let out a shriek until the hail subsided. As she slowly rose once again to her feet, she opened her eyes and moved her long black hair out of her face to see the damage.  

            Suspended a few feet above the platform was the orb, now glowing a pale yellow. As Raina stood, the orb changed color again, this time glowing blue. A second later, red. In the midst of this, something began to appear just in front of the orb--a portal or  gateway. As the entrance grew bigger, a figure stepped onto the platform. Squinting, Raina could make out that it was a male--naked--anyone familiar she couldn't tell. Moving at his own pace, he walked to the orb and placed his hands on it. As he stood there, the gateway began to close, and with it, Raina began to wonder who this man was. He began to mutter something unintelligible, sounding like another language, perhaps the same language as the writing on the orb. Seconds later, the portal closed, and Raina fully opened her eyes. 

            He was maybe a little taller than her, and just from the look of his body and his features, quite muscular. The give-away was the very long straight silver hair, and as he turned around, his muscular chest and emerald-colored eyes confirmed her thought.

            _Sephiroth..._

He stared straight into her eyes, noted the fear in them. As she stared into his, she began to feel a sort of calm, a feeling of familiarity, like she knew him for ages.

            _Well, I did have sex with him..._

            For  a second, her mind went blank--then she spoke the first thought that entered her mind.

            "Sephiroth, where am I?" Raina said quietly.

            "You are in a place that not very many tread," he said in a calm voice. "It is the source of all life on the Planet, the Lifestream itself."

            Raina's eyes widened in wonder and intrigue. 

            "The Northern Cave!" Raina exclaimed. 

            _Only heard in legend...so this is the fabled __Northern__Cave__, source of all Mako energy. So such a place does exist._

"Very good." The Angel said. "Someone knows the legend of my race."__

"So why am I here?" Raina asked, her initial thought out in the open.

            "Good question. The reason you're here is because I summoned you," he began, "and it is only in this dreamlike status I brought you here. But the true reason…well, this will take some time and may not be fully understood until the time comes."

            "Well, make it quick. I may wake up." Raina said. 

            He chuckled. "Nice try. I've made it so that you'll wake up when this little meeting of ours ends."

            Raina smiled. "Nice touch. Well, go ahead. I'm here for the duration, so why not?" 

            Sephiroth brushed his long hair out of the way, and began to walk toward Raina. 

            "Obviously," he began, "you know what I am after—to seek the Promised Land, the source of all Mako Energy in which to find the Holy Materia. I want to reclaim the former stature of my former race, the Cetra—or as the layman call them, 'Ancients.' It is at the Northern Cave where the source of all Mako energy where this can be done."

            Raina took a step toward Sephiroth. "I'm not sure I follow."

            His emerald eyes glared straight into Raina's. "The Lifestream! At the very source of the Planet itself lies the Lifestream, source of all life, source of everything we've come to know as Mako. It is the Lifestream that contains all the souls of all the ones that have died. My aim is to bring back the souls of the Cetra themselves!"

            Raina looked inquisitive. "And how, exactly, do you propose to do that?"

            "I was just getting to that. By finding the source itself, which is found down in the bowels of this cave, I can accomplish it."

            "And how do you know all this?" 

            "Every Cetra has this knowledge. It is written in ancient legend."

            Some of it was beginning to fall into place. Sephiroth continued his walk toward Raina. There was something about those eyes that seemed to calm her down. "But…where do I come in?"

            Sephiroth smiled. "In order to begin the ritual, I need a female of Cetra descent. After all, it is the Lifestream. To create life, a male and female are required, as is true with this. To bring back life, both Cetra genders are required. It is according to the Ancient Book."

            Raina was taken aback. "A female with Cetra blood? I'm not of Cetra descent at all!"

            He laughed. "Oh, yes you are."

            "How?"

            "You, like myself, are a product of Jenova."

If you like it up to this point, please review. Coming soon: **Chapter 5: Ancient History. **


	6. Ancient History

**Chapter Five: Ancient History**

            She stood there in open-mouthed shock. For a second, Raina's mind drew blank, the last statement by Sephiroth trying to set in. She had to make sure.

            "Run that by me again," she said, hoping she was just hearing things.

            He seemed to have read her mind, his eyes once again glaring straight into hers. "You are a product of Jenova," he said, calm once again.

            _But how? How did I come to be of a Cetra bloodline? _Suddenly a revolting thought passed through her mind. _That would make me…Sephiroth's sister!!!!_

            Sephiroth's laugh broke the silence. "Pitiful mind you humans have. But you do raise an interesting question—how? For one, I am not your brother. There's much that your race doesn't and can't understand."

            Raina let out a huge sigh of relief. "So how am I of Cetra heritage?" 

            His gaze remained. "Poor child. There's so much you don't know…so much you don't understand. It seems only fit to tell you. As mentioned, it may be a little confusing."

            "I'm here for the long run, so go ahead," Raina said, intrigued now.

            "Jenova, as you know, was the supreme being of the Ancients. A goddess, if you will. From her, we have the beings known as the Cetra. From her, the bloodline spread out in all directions, but there was one that was special. It was the bloodline that would produce the being to save the Planet from its prophesied destruction. However, 31 years ago, the bloodline was altered."

            "So far this makes sense," Raina began. "So, I'm gonna guess that the bloodline was altered as a result of Shinra, right?"

            The Angel smiled. "I see that trait hasn't left yet. You do catch on pretty quickly. Yes, it wasn't until Shinra began to delve into its Mako studies before change was wrought. By studying the uses of the Planet's lifeblood—Mako energy—scientists glimpsed into the time of ages past. However, to most of them the old ways of our once proud race were irrelevant, of no use to the corporation. But, it did catch the attention of _one_ scientist. He took it upon himself to study the Ancient history, and it really fascinated him. This, in turn, led him on a search to find the geological stratum in which Jenova rested, a memory of time lost."

            "Oh, you mean Professor Gast," Raina said, understandably.

            "Very good! Your logic fascinates me. But I continue. He researched long and hard, and finally thought he had found the stratum. He was doing his work near the Northern Cave, at the Great Glacier. The town nearby, Icicle Inn, served as the scientist's place of operations, and he set up his own laboratory. Finally, after almost a year, he found the fossilized Jenova. Since he himself was under Shinra, inc., word finally reached the corporation. At first, they were overjoyed—or so it seemed. The higher-ups made requests to take over the operation…meaning they wanted Gast to step down. He would not. It was his work, his labor, his time, and his energy that went into the important find. By rights, he was correct—I agree with him wholeheartedly. His refusal would be his demise. For as he was involved in his work, Shinra wanted his findings—bad enough that they would kill him. Their aim was to create humans out of the Jenova cells. 

            Unbeknownst to him, he thought that that would be the last of it. After almost a year after his find, some of Shinra's forces made an attempt on his life. He managed to escape and fled to safety. He wrote a formal letter of resignation to the corporation and quit. Most of the crew that Gast selected had also quit, and remained loyal to the Professor. After which, he continued his work. Several years later, he traveled to Cosmo Canyon, and he met the scientist Bugenhagen. In the village, he met this young woman by the name of Ifalna. She was very interested in the Professor's work. She offered her assistance by sharing her knowledge of the Cetra, telling about the myths, legends, and histories—so many things that Gast himself did not know. In turn, he shared his knowledge. The two combined possessed a great wealth of information—so much that it would fill volumes.  Gast became captivated and interested in this woman, and the opposite held for Ifalna. She then told him that she was one of the last surviving beings left. Gast felt as if he had to do something to keep the once prestigious race from truly fading away in the river of time. Out of love, the two had relations with each other, and created Aerith.

            Unfortunately, Shinra would strike again. Shortly after Aerith's birth, word seeped down to Shinra that a Cetra child was born. Professor Hojo, another Shinra scientist and enemy of Gast ordered for the capture of the child, alive. 'As for Gast and Ifalna, kill them,' he said. At Hojo's orders and the company's approval, a group of soldiers arrived at Icicle Inn to Gast's home. At a signal, they barged in and opened fire at the family. Using himself as a shield, he urged Ifalna and the young Aerith to escape, run far away. Without any mercy, Gast was helpless as semi-automatic bullets ripped through him. Then they left him for dead, lying in a pool of his own blood. Imagine…murdered by the same company that gave him so much."

            "What happened to the other two?" Raina asked. She found herself absorbed in his story, riveted, very interested.

            "The two were captured by Shinra and held for scientific experiements. Then, 4 years later in the conflict with Wutai, the two escaped from Shinra HQ. She knew that Shinra was after Aerith. Her escape route took the two of them all the way to the slums of Midgar. At the Sector 7 train station, a woman named Elmyra stood there, waiting for her husband to return home from some fighting.  Pleading, Ifalna left her with the child. Sadly, not too long after, Shinra discovered her near Fort Condor and died by their hands. As for Elmyra, she later found out that her husband had died in the conflict and thus put all her love in the adopted child. Elmyra knew that Shinra was after Aerith and thus kept her from harm. Hojo finally got what he wanted. He took over the Jenova project and by utilizing the fossilized Jenova DNA, recreated a clone of Jenova. It was from the clone that I was created…my "mother" nothing but a clone of a mad scientist."

            The two looked at each other for a few seconds, moments of awkward silence passing between the two. His eyes continued their hard stare, until Raina broke the silence. "Nice story…but how does this relate to my being of Cetra bloodline?"

            He continued his unwavering gaze. "This brings me to Ifalna's story. Before Ifalna met Gast, she was a wanderer of the Planet—a true being of the Ancients. For many years, she walked the lands of the Planet, searching for a familiar face—but to no avail. She kept in very close "communication," if you will, with the Planet, sensing its moods and feelings. We know the Planet is alive. At the time, she was the last surviving Cetra. Luckily, Shinra had no involvement in the Mako project yet. She came to the Temple of the Ancients, where she stayed there, lost in deep meditation and prayer. During her intersession with the Planet, she had a revelation. She discovered something that no Cetra had ever succeeded in doing—actually encountered the Lifestream. This was something that the Cetra had believed in, but no one actually saw it while they were alive—Ifalna, daughter of Jenova did. It was then that she realized she wasn't just a creation of Jenova, but rather, the blood daughter of Jenova."

            Raina looked at Sephiroth quizzically. "How? Jenova had no sexual intercourse with anyone of male gender."

            The Angel grinned. "You do bring up a valid point. However, for an analogy, consider this: Jesus Christ was the blood son of God. How was Jesus created since God had no relations with a female? This mythological question also applies to Jenova and Ifalna. Anyway, where was I…oh, yes. Because Ifalna had inherited the traits of Jenova, she too had the power to create life. Once again, she traveled up to the northernmost part of the Planet, and it was here in the Northern Cave where she found it—the Lifestream itself, found in the deepest parts of the Planet, where no human or Cetra have been. Now she knew that the legends were true. To encounter the source of life itself was only dreamed about. Using her newfound abilities, she managed to tap into the source, tapping into the forgotten form of Jenova. In doing so, she established a link of communication with the former goddess. Through a combined effort, they created you. However, when you were created, you were held as a spirit being in the Lifestream. Through an accord, it was arranged that, at a specific time you would be the product of conception. At the point of conception inside your earth mother, the spirit being—you—would develop as an earth child. Therefore, here you are. By joining two beings from Jenova, we will be able to bring back the lost race and restore Jenova, since we have her in both of us." 

            Raina looked at Sephiroth once again, but her face drew a look of comprehension, of compliance. She had understood at last. The Angel had made her realize what she was, discovering her true identity. 

            "I believe I finally understand. It all makes perfect sense." 

            "I knew you would. It was just a matter of time." He stood inches from Raina now, their faces inches apart.

            "I know what I must do. But one more question: how do I get there? You know, the Lifestream?"

            He chuckled. "You know already. You just have to reach into the old knowledge. Remember, you are Ifalna's daughter. One more word of caution: do not tell anyone about this conference—if it gets back to Shinra, all this will be for nil. There will be a huge risk of jeopardy, and all will be for naught. Hojo will be on you as he did Ifalna, as he did Gast. It is all up to you. You are the last." She seemed to get lost inside the emerald eyes of Sephiroth, and as she did, he leaned her face to hers and kissed her, his lips warm amidst the cold stinging her naked body. She closed her eyes and absorbed his touch fully, becoming lost in rapture, her senses enveloped in his warmth, his touch.

Still with me? Hope you like it! Coming soon, **Chapter 6: The Journey West.**


	7. The Journey West

**Chapter Six: The Journey West**

The three of them sat once again in the large room of Coren Dolan, receiving some last minute words before the two operatives Nelo Dalen and Ifalna Atrius set out to return Raina safely home. 

            "All the preparations are in place. Remember the objective—return Ms. Lani safely back. No fooling around. Sometimes you children like to go exploring. I won't take that risk now with an increased Shinra presence. You will meet an operative from Nibelhelm once you arrive at the landing. Until then, it should be smooth sailing. Any last questions?"

            The two shook their heads. "Well, then—I'll see you in a week. Dismissed!" He raised his hand in salute. The other two followed suit and left. 

            Nelo looked around his quarters, seeing if everything he needed was coming. He stopped in the middle of his room and paused. 

            _I almost forgot..._

            He reached under his bed, and pulled out the black case that contained the artificial gun-arm. 

            _You never know…_

                                                *                      *                      *

            Ifalna stood at the shore, looking at the vast expanse of the ocean. The morning sun cast a pale yellow light across the land, and its warmth was present on her face. The cool ocean breeze that was prevalent relaxed her a little. Even though she was used to missions like these, there was always a sense of initial nervousness. Once everything was underway, the feeling quelled. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, absorbing the salty air, another way of calming those nerves. In the midst of her reverie she heard footsteps coming from the opposite direction—the sounds of her partner. She opened her eyes and turned her head to him, and saw him carrying the black case. She looked at her timepiece. 

            "You're late," she grinned. He grinned back. "I'm only late if I say I am."

            She pointed a finger to a small craft nearby. "This way."

            "Lead the way," he said. 

            It was a small wooden craft, not too much bigger than a canoe. Attached near the rear was a small trolling motor. It was decided that the craft should be small as to not attract attention to anyone monitoring the waters—an idea that Nelo suggested.        

            "Hmm…kind of small," Ifalna said. "Can we fit?"

            "Yes," Nelo replied. "It was my idea. We don't want to attract attention to anyone paying attention."

            "Hmm. All right." She replied flatly. 

            "You first, Ifalna." Carefully, she stepped into the craft, gripping to both sides for balance. When she was safely seated at the front, Nelo put his case in, careful not to disturb the contents. Then in one quick motion he pushed off, and jumped into the boat—that proved to be foolish. The boat bounced and shook violently, catching Ifalna by surprise by almost launching her out of the boat. A few seconds later, the boat calmed. Nelo's face immediately went red as Ifalna glared evilly at him, her gaze seeming to pierce straight through her embarrassed partner. 

            "Whoops," he said quickly. "Sorry 'bout that."

            "_See what happens when you do stupid shit like that?!_" Ifalna yelled. 

            "Sorry! I didn't expect that!" Nelo yelled, surprised by Ifalna's angry tone. 

            "Think, you idiot! Think!" Ifalna yelled, waving her hands about.

            "Shall we begin?!" Nelo bellowed.

            "Yes, lets!" With one angry flick, Nelo started the trolling motor, and came to life. 

            "Let's just get there without us biting our heads off," Nelo said, calmly.

            "Sure…just no more foolish jackass moves," Ifalna replied, her voice returning to a speaking tone. With that, Nelo once again flicked a switch and the dull hum of the motor began to turn, sending the two out into the open waters ahead. 

            Commander Dolan stood by his office window, looking at the scene by the landing. As the two of them sped away, he let out a laugh and grinned.

            _Hell hath no fury like a woman sustained…Godspeed, you two. _

            The late morning sunlight shone brightly in the small space where Raina slept. The warm light splayed brightly across her face as she slowly stirred from the nightly slumber. Feeling a little groggy, she sat up in her bed, and the vision of the night came flooding back in an instant.

            _What was that? Was I dreaming…was I really there, in that cold place? Am I…_

            A knock at her door brought her back to reality. "Raina? It's Jeini. Are you awake?" 

            "Yes…just a sec." She quickly got out of bed, and put on a robe. She opened the door to see a smiling Jeini, already dressed in Nibelhelm uniform, dark navy blue pants and matching jacket, with the symbol of the Nibelhelm ASA on the jacket. The collar was adorned with Major pins, signifying rank. She was holding something in her hand. 

            "I come bearing gifts," she said, presenting the bundle of clothing to her. "I managed to get a Fort Condor uniform for you." Raina looked at it, the familiar forest green color, representing the Fort Condor branch. 

            "Thank you much. I was getting tired of combat fatigues." Raina chuckled. "Any other things?"

            Jeini looked at her timepiece. "We will be leaving for Nibelhelm shortly, in about 2 hours. The chocobos are outside being prepared for the trek. Meet me at the front of the inn then. Until then, you're free. See you then."

            "Yes, ma'am," Raina grinned. Jeini turned and left. Closing the door behind her, she sat down on her bed, paused in thought. Once again, she recalled the events of the dream and her session with Sephiroth. 

            _Am I really a Cetra? If I am, why didn't I realize until last night? Was it just a dream? Am I really the one to bring back the race? _

            Despite all this, Raina had an element of skepticism. She couldn't be sure that the dream held any merit. Then she had an idea.

            _I'll go to the basement laboratory in Nibelhelm…I'm sure I'll find something there. _

            Putting the thoughts aside for now, she placed the uniform on the bed and began to unfold the contents. While she was, she found a small white box, gift-wrapped. Curious, she opened the box and found a pistol—standard issue Beretta, firing 9mm parabellum rounds. Looking at it, she noticed the safety was on. Picking the weapon up, she found a note.

            I decided to equip you a weapon if you decide to explore the town—there may be Shinra around. You'd be a dead giveaway carrying or even trying to conceal a _Shinra _standard issue Semi. It's small, easy to conceal, and I even gave you one magazine. Careful—it's already loaded. I've taken your semi and placed it in a safe place. 

                                           --Jeini

     Raina grinned. _How thoughtful. _Quickly, she dressed herself and taking the new issued weapon, she left the small cozy room, and the inn proper. She stepped outside into what appeared to be a new world—the small tropical village of Costa del Sol seemed to have changed overnight. What was once a dull night on the street escaping Shinra turned into a bustling place, full of thriving life, peoples and creatures abound. The street seemed to come alive with chatter and sounds. As if scripted, life flourished. The scene looked like Runyonland. Taking one quick look in both directions, she decided to head down toward the city proper.

            Now over an hour into the mission, the small craft where Nelo and Ifalna sat was quiet, save for the low hum of the trolling motor and the sounds of the ocean breeze. Nelo kept looking about his surroundings, cautiously looking for any hostile presence on the water. Ifalna had a relaxed appearance, her mood calm after the initial incident at the shore. Her gaze stared out on the horizon, all she was seeing was water, cool blue all around her stretching for a seemingly endless distance. With no land in sight, the only thing that she could do was watch the passing scenery. Her gaze turned to the watchful Nelo, his eyes still scanning the area as if he was a sort of human radar. She felt as if she needed to break the silence.

            "Relax, Nelo." Ifalna said. "You look so worried."

            "I do? Just being cautious." Nelo said, feeling almost embarrassed.

            "Nothing to be ashamed of. It's just that you look so…so…protective," she said, a small laugh escaping her.

            Nelo smiled, amused. "Well, at least I'm not boring you. I mean, we're gonna be a while before we reach the other side. Might as well provide some entertainment."

            Ifalna sighed. "How long until we reach land?"

            Nelo gazed at his timepiece. "We have another few hours yet. Might as well enjoy the ride." He sighed.

            "You're worried, aren't you?" Ifalna asked.

            "Huh?" Nelo looked at her curiously.

            "About Raina?"

            "Of course. Even though I know she's safe…" his voice trailed off. Ifalna moved up close to Nelo, her jade eyes staring straight into Nelo's. Her gaze gave a sense of reassurance. 

            "Relax," she said soothingly. "She's okay. There's nothing to worry about." Nelo looked at her, and an almost ominous silence (save for the boat motor) passed between the two. After somewhat of an eternity, Nelo sighed, and a slight grin came across his face. 

            "Thanks," Nelo said softly. Her face leaned in close to Nelo once again, once again those jade eyes softening. "Anytime," Ifalna whispered, then pressed her lips to Nelo's. His eyes shut, he absorbed himself in the moment and began to feel a sense of being in a dream. Time seemed to slow to a total crawl as Nelo's mouth opened, allowing her tongue entry. They explored each other's mouths for what seemed like ages, and she pulled away after what was only about a minute. 

            "Hope that made you feel better," Ifalna said. 

            "Quite," Nelo replied. Suddenly the boat shook violently for a sec, catching Ifalna by surprise. Her expression changed from one of relaxed to total shock as she flew in the air, almost flying into the drink. She landed back in the craft, splayed, her legs dangling over the craft, in the water causing a huge drag on the boat. Nelo quickly killed the motor and carefully went to Ifalna's position in an effort to pull her back onboard. 

            "_Jesus! What the hell was that?!_" Ifalna said, furious. 

            "Give me your hand!" Nelo ordered. Quickly she responded and was easily pulled back in the boat. Her knees down were soaked with ocean water as the boat oriented itself once again. "You okay?" Nelo asked. 

"Yeah, I'm fine, but what the hell was that?"

"My guess would be a spot of rough water, but from what, I don't know," Nelo said, searching to make sure everything was in check. 

"I'm 2 for 2 today—one by you and one from turbulence," Ifalna said jokingly.

"Hey, there," Nelo said, smiling and pointing at the slightly wet figure. "This second one wasn't my doing." 

"You steered us into it, so ha!" Nelo started the motor once again. 

"But…but…but…oh, fuck it. I can't win," Nelo bowed his head in defeat.

"Just kidding," Ifalna said laughing. Ifalna sat back, looking all around her once again. It was such a gorgeous day, the sky a pristine blue, matching the ocean. There was not a cloud in the sky, just the occasional bird flying overhead.  

Nelo lifted his head and smiled. "Good." 

Several minutes had passed, and suddenly Ifalna drew a look of inquisitiveness. "Nelo, kill the motor." He quickly killed the power. "What's up?" 

"Listen." Nelo heard nothing save for the sounds of lapping water.

"I don't—"

"Shut up and listen!" Her eyes darted the sky for the source of an apparent sound. Finally Nelo heard it too, and it was the sound of aircraft, faded as a result of distance, but from their standpoint, it was getting louder. Ifalna spotted it to her left and pointed, then reached into her small bag and pulled out a set of binoculars. 

"What is it?" 

"Nothing. It's a small red civilian plane," On that, Nelo started the motor again. Ifalna had her binoculars set on the aircraft and scrutinized it very carefully as it flew closer to their position. It had appeared to change direction, flying towards Fort Condor, away from them. Ifalna kept track of the flying craft as it flew towards the horizon, and slowly disappeared from sight. Relieved, she put the binoculars down next to her. 

"Nothing?" Nelo asked, breaking the silence. 

"Luckily, it's nothing." Ifalna said.  

"Wait," Nelo said, looking at the airspace above Ifalna. Quickly, he killed the motor, and the small craft glided to a smooth stop. Ifalna caught on and looked behind her. Heading in their direction was a helicopter, and for further detail, Ifalna once again took the binoculars to get a better look.

"Fuck! Nelo, GO!! It's a Shinra helicopter!" At the opening word, Nelo slammed on the motor, the motor roaring to life as Nelo slammed the thrust, going full throttle over the open ocean, leaving a wide wake as it headed for the direction of the helicopter. "Hopefully it won't notice us," Nelo said. 

"Right. They'd have to be stupid not to notice," Ifalna said boldly, a twist of sarcasm in her voice. 

"One can only hope," he said firmly. "One can only hope." Still looking through the binoculars, she could make out the emblem of Shinra—her suspicions confirmed. Placing the binoculars down, she noticed that the helicopter was lowering its altitude, its position still fixed. 

"Fuck," Nelo said, almost not realizing he said it. "I think they have. Shit—we're sitting ducks! That helicopter will be on us in a minute. Be prepared to engage the enemy!" 

"With what?" Ifalna asked, angry. Nelo didn't have time to answer when suddenly he heard the rapid fire of aircraft machine guns, the bullets hitting the water in a display of speed and splashing. 

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Nelo yelled. Ifalna took her semi-machine gun and opened fire at the helicopter. 

"_Bastards!!!" Ifalna yelled over the peal of machine gun bullets from the aircraft. The water around them was splashing all over the place, mist flying from the huge speed of the bullets hitting the water all around them. Looking up, the helicopter roared over their heads, and it was here where Nelo had an idea._

"_Hold your fire!" Getting nothing, Nelo tapped his comrade on the shoulder._

"What?!" 

"Hold your fire! I have an idea!" Not too far away from them, the gray battle helicopter of Shinra began to make a u-turn, and soon it would be upon them again.

"Ifalna! Take the motor! Your machine gun will do nothing against that!"

"What the fuck do you mean?!" Ifalna screamed. 

"A Shinra standard issue will do nothing against an armored helicopter! Now here!" Nelo grabbed Ifalna's hand and pulled her to his position. "Steer the boat," he said through gritted teeth. He quickly moved himself to Ifalna's former position and took out the black case from under her seat.

_I didn't think I had to use you yet…but don't fail me! _

The helicopter was now once again heading in their direction, gaining ground quick. Nelo quickly opened the case and saw his modified gun-arm, never used. The gun-arm came with two attachments, one for a machine gun, and one for an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade). He took out the base and the RPG attachment, and quickly strapped it onto his right arm. No sooner than he did that when suddenly in front of him, he heard a whistling of a missile coming from above.

"_Nelo!!!!" Ifalna shrieked, and on instinct, Nelo ducked. Suddenly the blue water was alive as a huge explosion of ocean displayed just mere feet in front of them. The small craft rose out of the water as foamy salt water splashed all around them, the motor suddenly screaming a high-pitched wail as the blades were turning air. All around them was white, churned water from the near-missed missile. Nelo saw red, furious. Ifalna let out another shriek as the boat hit the water again, caroming violently to the right, almost capsizing under the force of the turn. The motion almost sent Nelo out of the boat, but he quickly balanced himself, and caught the case as it was flying. Wasting no time, the air once again became filled with the sounds of gunfire, the scurry of bullets flying. As if warping to a new realm, the surroundings became clear once again as the wave of seawater subsided. Back to it now, Nelo took one of the RPGs that was placed near the attachment and loaded it into his gun-arm, which added a significant amount of weight. The attachment went over the length of his arm. The RPG attachment was designed so that upon ignition, all reaction would take place in the barrel, unlike a bazooka which explodes out the rear--a safety feature so that the person using it doesn't get his or her face blown off. Moving fast, he loaded the gun-arm and was ready to fire. Before he could, he saw another missile heading straight for the rear of their small boat. _

"_IFALNA! TURN!"  Suddenly the boat took a huge yaw to the left, and missing the motor by a mere foot, the water behind once again exploded in a huge display of sound and whitewater. The impact sent the boat in the air once again, the squeal of the motor drowning out the tremendous splash. Sensing its failed attempt, the copter quickly responded by once again flying over their heads. The boat landed back in the water, shaking from impact. Ifalna held on to the craft tight and quickly righted position. No sooner than she did, the helicopter flew once again in front of them, facing them, heading straight into the two again. Machine gun fire resumed once again, and as the guns fired, it was loading another missile. Nelo raised his gun-arm to aim, his finger on the trigger, when suddenly he heard an ear-piercing scream. Looking behind, Ifalna's face contorted in pain—she took a bullet in the right shoulder, and her shirt quickly was becoming blood stained. Her other hand was controlling the motor, but the boat began to move out of control._

 __

_NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! Ifalna!_

"Shit!" He couldn't do anything yet. He quickly lifted his gun-arm, quickly aimed, and fired. No sooner did he fire, than did Shinra fire their missile, both of them heading for each other's respective targets. Ripping the gun-arm off him, he quickly moved to Ifalna, but suddenly he screamed in pain as a bullet sailed into the muscle of his left leg, crippling him. He found himself collapsed.  Wincing and letting out another cry of pain, Ifalna still had enough left to move the boat out of the way. 

"Thank you, Ifalna," Nelo said softly. 

"I'll be fine," Ifalna said through gritted teeth. 

Looking up, Nelo's RPG made contact with the rear of the copter, completely obliterating the tail in a huge show of orange and yellow light, and the last Shinra missile hit perilously close to the motor. The resultant once again covered both of them in cold seawater, and the motor couldn't take it anymore. Sputtering, the motor died. Both of them screamed in pain again, the salty brine stinging their injuries. Ifalna and Nelo looked to see the chopper spiraling out of control, its center of balance gone as it loomed closer to the drink. With heavy black smoke trailing from the rear, the bulk of the chopper hit the water, crumpling like tin foil, thick smoke pouring from the defeated body of the deceased aircraft. Despite the pain, Nelo felt a wave of pride, confident in the fact that he got the assholes. 

"We'll be fine." Nelo whispered. He looked at his injured leg, saw the blood seeping through the fabric of his pants. He looked at Ifalna's injured shoulder; saw the crimson stain heading for her breast. He wrapped his arm around Ifalna, careful not to touch the bullet wound. Nesting closer, almost spoon-like, he didn't notice the small red plane heading towards the accomplished two.    

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter in…I had a case of writer's block in the middle. Now I'm back, overcome, woot! 

Hopefully up soon, the final chapter for this story—**Epilogue: A Change of Plan. Review please! **


	8. Epilogue

**Epilogue: A Change of Plan**

            The sudden shrill ringing of a phone snapped Commander Dolan out of his reverie, a daydream of sorts. Quickly grabbing the receiver and fumbling with it in the process, he managed to get a grip on it, and put the earpiece near him.

            "Commander Coren Dolan, Fort Condor ASA, who is this?" He asked in calm manner.

            "Coren," a familiar voice said, a little gruff, accompanied by smoker's cough.

            "Cid! As I live and breathe, how are you?" Coren's face lit up in surprise. 

            "So far, I'm fine. But I call you on a matter of importance," he said grimly.

            A look of intrigue crossed Coren's features. "I'm all ears."

            "I picked up two of yours while flying today, out on the ocean some distance away. They looked like they'd taken some shit from Shinra."

            Coren suddenly stopped in his tracks, locked. 

            His blood froze, and fear began to creep in. Forgetting the passing of time, he was brought back by Cid.

            "Coren? Um…Coren, you there?"

Snapping back to reality, firmly, he said, "Did you manage to identify them?"

            "Yeah, they were still conscious when I found them, a Nelo Dalen, and an Ifalna Atrius. Both looked like they were beaten up bad, both having gunshot wounds. I picked them up and flew them to my place in Rocket Town, where Shera's taking care of 'em. She's real good with stuff like that." Cid pulled himself away from the phone, but Coren could still hear Cid's yelling in the background, "Shera, get some more tea!"

            _Damn…of all possible times…_

            After a few seconds of yelling commands to his wife, he returned. 

            "I tell you, those two kids put up quite a fight. They beat that fuckin' chopper right out of the sky."

"Cid, I don't think I can thank you enough. Are they on the mend?" Coren asked, sounding fatherly.

            "It looks like they'll be okay." Cid coughed again.

            A wave of relief calmed Coren down. "Cid…how can I thank you?"

            "Don't need to. Just happened to be in the neighborhood. Damn Shinra assholes, always causing trouble."

            "I hear you. Well, thank you much. I'll send someone there immediately." 

            "Sorry I had to be the bearer of bad news, Coren."

            "That's okay. You and Shera take care of those two in the meantime. Those are two of my best." Coren said, a note of command in his voice.

            "Will do, friend." At that, Cid hung up. Slowly, Coren replaced the receiver and sat there for a second, thinking.

            _Damn Shinra!_ He pounded his fist to his desk. Realizing what he had to do, he picked up the phone once again and dialed some numbers. After a few rings, he heard a voice.

            "Nibelhelm ASA, who is this?" a female voice said.

            "Commander Coren Dalen of the Fort Condor ASA. May I speak with your C.O.?"

                                                *                      *                      *

             Raina stood by the chocobo stable adjacent to the inn proper, waiting for Jeini to arrive. The late afternoon sun was almost glaring down upon the tropical village, giving the village an "Isle Delfino" look. Even in the mid-afternoon, the streets were teeming with life, the same spectacle since the late morning. Even in the shade, her green uniform served as a space blanket, making her body feel like an oven. She stood next to the large bird, stroking its golden feathers soothingly. The chocobo seemed to let out a noise of comfort, a slight chirping sound. Next to the chocobo stood a small satchel containing some Gyshal Greens. She took a small handful of the green plant and fed the golden bird, and it seemed pleased. 

            She looked at her timepiece, sighing. She was still a few minutes early yet, but no sooner than she look back up did she see the figure of Jeini walking at a fast clip. Before Raina could speak, she began.

            "Change of plans, Raina," she said quickly, untying her chocobo.

            Raina began to do the same. "What do you mean?"

            "We're not going to Nibelhelm. We're heading straight for Rocket Town."

            "Why? What's--?"

            Jeini raised a hand and cut in, mounting her chocobo. "Your two friends that were coming were attacked by a Shinra helicopter about 50 miles away from here. Both received bullet wounds."

            Raina froze, and her facial expression changed from inquisitive to worry.

            _What?! _

_            She mounted her chocobo, almost speechless for a quick sec until she remembered what she said next. "Is it…serious?"_

            "Not too serious. They're both resting under Cid Highwind's care in Rocket Town. They will definitely pull through. I was amazed that this Nelo took down a helicopter all by himself."

            _Nelo…Ifalna…what did Shinra do to you this time?! Don't worry, Nelo. I'm coming. _

            "No time to waste. Let's go," Jeini commanded, an Auron-like quality in her voice. She dug her heels into the sides of the chocobo, yelling a cry.

            "Let's go, sweet bird," Raina whispered softly next to the animal's head.

            _As you wish.  _

Being careful as to not run over the inhabitants filling the streets, they both rode out of the city boundary, heading for some mountains looming in the distance. Taking one last quick look back, she saw once again the thriving city, the commotion of daily life. Somewhere in the sea of people, she recognized a figure dressed in a black coat, his long silver hair flowing behind him, his emerald eyes shining like beacons at sea, clearly looking at her.

_We shall meet again soon…my dear Raina. _

_Indeed, we shall._

Author's note: STORY COMPLETED, YAY! Now that this story is finished, I will begin working on a Part 3 of this story, the title of which I have not come up with yet. I hope you have enjoyed this second episode of this. Once again, give me a review and let me know what you think! 

--L. Loire


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